Chapter 33°
“You know, Daphne’s never coming back to you. She’s probably feeling smug right now, thinking, ‘Wow, look at Jonathan. He’s willing to do anything to win me back.“}
Jonathan’s breathing grew heavier. “What are you trying to say?“}
“I’m saying… “}
Yvonne’s hand slipped under his shirt.
“What if you suddenly stop caring? What if you act like you don’t want her anymore? Maybe then, she’ll come crawling back to you.” The couch creaked under the weight.
Just as Jonathan was about to lose himself in her again, he thought he saw a shadow flash past on the upstairs landing.§
Wendy stood there, unsteady, backing away with both hands over her mouth. Tears blurred her vision.
“Jonathan,” she called out in a trembling voice, but her words were drowned out by their gasping breaths.
Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through her abdomen. She doubled over, cold sweat soaking her pajamas.}
She wanted to call for help but missed a step, tumbling down the stairs.
“Ah!”
Her scream finally snapped them out of it.
Jonathan pushed Yvonne away violently and rushed to the bottom of the stairs. He saw Wendy curled up on the landing, a shocking pool df blood spreading beneath her.
“The baby
my baby…”
Her face was deathly pale. She clutched his sleeve with trembling fingers. “Help me, please.“}
Outside the operating room, Nora’s wails echoed through the corridor. “My grandson! My poor grandson!“}]
She grabbed Jonathan’s collar and shook him violently. “Give me back my grandson! Give my daughter back her reputation!“}
It took the nurses a great deal of effort to pull her away.
The doctor came out, removed his mask and shook his head. “The baby didn’t make it. It was a fully formed boy.“”
Wendy’s mother collapsed onto the floor, her makeup smeared across her face. “Impossible! I clearly had his fortune read. They said this child had a prosperous destiny.”
She suddenly lunged at Jonathan. “It’s a!! your fault! You murderer!“}
Jonathan stood there woodenly, letting Wendy’s mother’s nails scratch bloody marks on his face.
Strangely, what welled up in his heart wasn’t grief but a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.}
That child, who shouldn’t have existed in the first piace, the shackle that bound him, had finally disappeared.
Jonathan pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly as he dialed my number.
It rang for a long time before being answered.
“Daphne,” his voice was hoarse and unrecognizable, “Wendy had a miscarriage.”}
There was a moment of silence on the other end. “So?”
*We can start over,” he said urgently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“No baby, no Wendy, nothing anymore. Just like you said, she and I never even registered our marriage and now the baby is gone, too.“} Jonathan.” I interrupted him calmly, “Are you out of your mind?“}
He was stunned. “What?“&
‘I’ll say it again,” I said, enunciating each word clearly, “Are you out of your mind?“}]
The busy signal of the disconnected call rang in his ear. Jonathan stood there holding his phone, the scratches on his face burning with pain.%
Did he really think I would return to how things were without Wendy and the baby?
Without Wendy, there would be Wanda or Whitney. The problem between us was never a third party.
It was Jonathan.
It was his change of heart, betrayal and lack of resolve.
The heartless one between us was never me.
It was him.
12:21 PM S
